Macross aired in 1982; DYRL came out in 1984 and periodically released content every so often after. Harmony Gold offered their basterization in 1986; In some limited fashion over the next decades, other aspects of macross somehow got across to the States (mostly as VHS. It could be surmised that at least SOME of the engineers involved in the civilian, military and "aviation spy business" were fans of either Robotech or Macross. You are correct: Its humorous to note all the advances introduced in military aviation that was first seen in Macross or MS Gundam. The all-glass cockpits first. The retro-dating of Vector Thrust coming later, as those concepts were introduced to the macross producers (but it can be argued that the VF-1 had to have Vector Thrust since the Valkyrie lacked ailerons...)
It should be telling that the modern (that is, more up to date) version of a VF-1D would more likely either have the head of a VF-1D, from Macross the First or a version of the VF-0A or D with two independent cameras, like the type seen in Macross Zero. The great froating head, in his youth was still limited by the requirements of Macross's *sponsors* to make the VF-1A, D, J & S as distinct as possible in 1981. To this day, model makers and toy collectors still CELEBRATE those decisions...
